More reviews!

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki: While I complained about this show being annoying because it was trying to be wacky, crazy and creative, I think what annoyed me most KKN what the sappiness. While the setting and characters were pretty good and the writing had its moments, the sappy moments burdened too large a chunk of the demographic. Namely the not-clinically-retarded/not-Michael-Jackson demographic. I can't imagine a bunch of anime writers/producers spending their evenings hammering out the screenplay for the next episode and feeling that the sappy lines were pleasing to them. They probably just thought, "I hate this line but kids will probably like it". Next time, make an effort dipshits.
4.5/10

Allison to Lillia: A real treat! A series that goes against conventional trends in storyline, settings and animation style. Simple and wholesome, yet challenging and entertaining. The complete opposite of Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, which was complicated yet as challenging as blowing your nose, unless you're Michael Jackson. It's probably very challenging for him to blow his nose, or what's left of it. Can't really say he's not to blame for that problem though.
9.2/10

In case you're asking yourself "why the Michael Jackson references?", the answer is: I'm lazy.

Itazura na kiss: An odd one for sure. It starts out as such an overused stereotype. Dumb,average girl falls for perfect guy except that he's a jerk to her and everyone. Somehow, girl moves into his house. More conflict ensues. Girl wins over guy with GUTS!!! Pretty conventional right? But it doesn't stop there. They get married while going through college. They enter the jobforce together. Eventually they have a child. The series just never quit. It goes over years and years. Despite its best efforts to break some somewhat new ground, this is still a pretty boring romance series. I watched it through because I can tolerate pretty lame productions of the genre. It must be my achille's heel. Still, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
5.5/10

Natsume Yuujinchou: I was initially hoping this would become a Mushishi-esque production. It didn't close. Still, I would still call this series a success. It has a good mix of supernatural elements and storytelling, like Mushishi. It just feels a tad dumbed-down and more conventional. All that being said, its still way above-average fare. Check it out.
8.5/10

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Closet-otaku perfect girl falls for ordinary, yet kind guy, when he discovers her secret anime obsession. Pretty regular high school romance/harem fare. It's a winner though because the character designs are to die for. Haruka is a totally adorable yet hot babe. Definitely in the top 3 character designs of the year.
8.0/10

I've got the rest of the spring reviews and some fall reviews still to do but they'll have to wait until next time. Bye-bee!

Happy New Year!

For two years now I've held a groundless position that 2009 would be the money year, whatever that means. Now that we're here, I find myself...doubting?...no that's not it. I guess I just never knew what I meant by that, "the money year". I'm quasi-certain it doesn't mean I'm going to somehow fall into money. In fact, if I had to guess, I would predict that I will be WORSE off financially by the end of 2009. I guess I just meant that it would be a noteworthy year in my life because I expect (or at least hope) that some serious changes will lift me from my worryingly stagnant lifestyle. I feel I've fallen into a routine that falls way below of what I expect of me. I feel that if I don't start dancing now, I may never attain what I truly desire. And like the sheepman says in Murakami's "Dance Dance Dance":

"Dance, you gotta dance. As long as the music plays, you gotta dance. Don't even think why. Start to think, your feet stop. Your feet stop, we get stuck. We get stuck, we're restuck. So don't pay any mind, no matter how dumb. You gotta keep the step. You gotta limber up. You got to loosen what you bolted down. You gotta use all you got. We know you're tired, tired and scared. Happens to everyone, okay? Just don't let your feet stop. Dancing is everything. Dance in tiptop form. Dance so it all keeps spinning. You gotta dance. As long as the music plays"

A motivating cry to move if I ever heard one! Happy 2009 everyone.

I'm alive and so is this blog! (for now at least) - Review Session

Well, I guess it's safe to say I couldn't be bothered to do some posting for the last 3 months. That's all you're getting in the way of an explanation. Ok, I'll also add that the hockey season has been taking up some of my time as I've been blogging about hockey a lot on another website. Go Habs Go!!

xxxholic kei: More of the same in terms of content. The returning characters make it pretty important that you've seen the first season. The ending was conclusive but not necessarily fulfilling. Still, pretty interesting as a whole.
8.2/10

To Love-Ru: Really nice character designs save this from being unwatchable. Rito has the love of the two main girls and he has a crush on ONE of them but it somehow still remains a love triangle through the whole series. Still Haruna is the hottest character of the season!
6.0/10

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: I have to admit that I wasn't as enamored with this as most of my anime brethren. The execution was near flawless but the core remained a humanity vs. alien and humans can win against all odds with GUTS!!! Think of a perfectly executed, nicely animated version of the Power Rangers. Thats Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, especially in the second half. Actually, the series starts off like a masterpiece but after Kariya dies, the series never reaches the same level again. Still worth a watch though because for better or for worse, its the most significant anime series in the last 3 years in terms cult appeal and you'll feel left in the dark with all the parodies, references and comparisons you're sure to see in the future.
8.2/10

Code Geass R2: Absolute masterpiece. If you haven't seen the first season, don't you dare start watching this until you do. Actually, even if you HAVE seen the first season, watch it again before you watch the second. The combination is the best anime series since Mushishi. The ending was predictable, I actually had it figured out for weeks before it aired. It was the only way Lelouch could be redeemed in the eyes of his sister and the viewers. In the end, he was able to remain the hero of the series. I've made some Code Geass comparisons to Death Note in the past, mostly because of the similarity between the protaganists, Yagami Light and Lelouch. Both use a keen intellect and an unshakable sense of justice and lets them determine their actions. They both accept the fallout of their actions as their price to pay for the ability to make a difference. Both are giving a supernatural power to help them create their revolution. The allure of their demise reflects their main difference. Light kept furthering his plans until he was defeated, an eventuality without a doubt. His plans never had a scheduled ending. He was going to continue indefinitely. Lelouch, on the other hand, made his plan, ended it with his own sacrifice and could take honor in his accomplishement. He had one thing Light did not have: attachement to a person. Light used his father to further his plans. He cared for nobody. Lelouch's more selfish but less egotistic motives of improvement to his sister's future helped him set more definite goals. Anyways, I have debated LOTS of aspects code geass so I could go on forever but I'll stop because these are supposed to be abbrieviated reviews. I have some soft criticisms of Code Geass too, and you'll probably hear about them if you spend enough time with me but I'll leave them for now because they are, for the most part artistic choices and should in no way discourage you from watching this.Even if you're a casual anime viewer, you're making a grave mistake by not following Code Geass.
9.8/10

More reviews to come but for now I'm worn out.

Monthly Anime Ranking - August '08

1. Code Geass R2
2. Allison to Lillia
3. Natsume Yuujinchou*
4. Macross Frontier
5. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu*
6. Sekirei*
7. Soul Eater
8. Golgo 13
9. Itazura Na Kiss
10. Kyoran Kazoku Nikki
11. To Love-ru
12. Koihime Musou*


Graduations:

-xxxHolic Kei (Review Coming Soon)


Stalled projects:

-Wagaya no Oinari-sama
-Nabari no Ou
-Vampire Knight
-Real Drive


I've started a stalled section for series that have been inactive for two months. I see myself dropping 2 and picking up 2 of them sometime in the future. For now however, they're sitting in limbo. I've added 4 new series this month so let's get straight to them.


Natsume Yuujinchou: Really nice series about a high school student who can see spirits. Reminds me a bit of Mushishi but on a lower level and not as serious or epic. I would like to see a bit more of a continuous plotline since its been mostly episodic stories so far. Still Natsume remains a very well-produced and entertaining series, the best of the summer series so far.


Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: A cute story about an accomplished female student who befriends a male student who knows her double identity as a closet anime fan. The show is a very tame introduction into otaku culture with visits to Akihabara district and Comiket. The character designs are really nice too, especially Haruka.

Sekirei: A pretty decent harem/magical-girl series. The genre is limited in its appeal and the concept is not very original. The male lead is your typical ordinary, bordering on pathetic, student who somehow becomes the "master" of an impressive group of female "sekirei". Aside from that the story moves along quite nicely and the character designs are simply AWESOME. I would watch it for the character designs alone.

Koihime Musou: A crappy version of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms with a full female recast based on a Japanese game. For some reason, there is no Liu Bei. I wouldn't be surprised if I don't watch another episode of this ever again.

Code Geass R2: Code Geass is at its best right now, preparing us for the season (and it looking like the series) finale. Important characters are dying left and right, plot twists and developments are numerous every episode and always ending on a cliffhanger. If you can only watch one show right now, make it Code Geass. If you can watch two, watch it twice.

Macross Frontier: Frontier has been labouring a bit these last few weeks. The pace has been a bit stagnant, some more unlikeable characters have taken some prominence and some of the main characters have been less featured. I feel that the series probably turned a corner during the last episode and I expect it to get back on track as we approach the ending.

I'm sorry I've been a bit distant these last few weeks but its the summer so get a life. I've been picking up some extra shifts at work and as you all know, this blog is always the first thing to go when I'm shorter on time, waaaaay before I stop watching anime. I'll try doing the xxxholic review in the near future. If you're waiting for my review to make up your mind on whether you are going to watch it, go ahead and watch it. It's a good series.

Monthly Anime Ranking - July '08

1. Code Geass R2
2. Macross Frontier
3. Allison to Lillia
4. xxxHOLIC kei
5. Soul Eater
6. Real Drive
7. Golgo 13
8. Wagaya no Oinari-sama
9. Nabari no Ou
10. Vampire Knight
11. To Love-Ru
12. Kyoran Kazoku Nikki
13. Itazura na Kiss

Graduations:
-Kurenai (9.0/10)
-Library Wars (7.3/10)
-Kanokon (8.4/10)

The first thing that becomes noticeable is that a number of series haven't been updated. All of these are affected by the fact that the fansub group I was following have not released any recent episodes. To be fair, I could have easily switched to another group but the fact that they aren't that great of shows didn't make it urgent. I would say these shows are at a crossroads for both the viewer and the fansub groups that initially starting subbing them. Most probably many groups will drop some of these projects but they each have enough appeal for them to be picked up by another one. For myself, I probably will stop watching themfor a while and most likely stop watching a couple and start watching a couple again. For now, I'll just let them sit in the rankings since I haven't made up my mind yet.

Allison to Lillia keeps impressing me with how enjoyable it is to watch. The series is at a halfway point, switching from Allison and Wilhelm to her daughter Lillia and some guy called Treize (french for thirteen by the way, so it's a pretty crappy name). It'll be interesting to see if the cast change is smooth enough to keep me interested. I'm guessing it will be. Allison to Lillia has an old-school feel to it that has disappeared in recent years. It's definitely refreshing to get a wholesome yet challenging show.

Soul Eater is the biggest loser this week, mostly because I haven't watched a lot of the lesser shows and the other better shows are doing well. Soul Eater had some filler-like episodes (i.e. Excalicur) and that's why it's in the red. It's still an entertaining show and I have no doubts it will rebound fairly quickly.

Other Observations:
-For some reason, I'm enjoying Golgo 13 despite (or maybe because of) its lame macho-ness. I guess that kind of show is ok in low doses.

-Macross has been great, but things are getting a little crazy in terms of plot development so we'll soon see if it lands on it's feet. All signs say it will.

See you next month when we add some new shows to the rankings. Bye-bee!

Kanokon - Completed Review

What is it?

Two spirit girls have the hots for the most average boy in the world.

What's good about it?

Really attractive character designs. I mentionned there are two girls but really, this show is all about Chizuru. The whole show is her endless quest to get into Kouta's pants with various people conveniently (or inconveniently) getting in their (really her) way. She's hot and she uses a lot of creative and funny come-ons.

What's bad about it?

This isn't really deep at all. It's a shamelessly fanservice-oriented series. Story and plot are non-existant and the character development is not that rewarding anyways. And I don't find it cool when she merges into Kouta to become an all-powerful form. Kouta is not cool and giving him ears and superpowers can't possibly fix that. Oh, and using fox spirits is about as original as doing a butler show.

Final Verdict

I honestly really enjoyed Kanokon. I fell for Chizuru despite the fact she was aiming for a pathetically helpless stunt-growth. The show was not deep but it wasn't putting on airs either. As long as it doesn't try to do more than it should and keeps me entertained, I can live with (and actually enjoy) lighter fare. I probably won't watch this again, but then again, I rarely rewatch series. The true test is answering if I would watch a sequel, and in this case, I pretty sure I would.

8.4/10

FYI- I'll probably do something else tonight but here's what's on tap:

-July anime rankings

I'll also start a new feature for reviewing ongoing shows that I have no idea when they will ever end. I will provide you with snapshots of a few good series that I can't review because they just won't end. I'm actually considering reviewing their individual arcs as they progress. This will apply to really old shows like One Piece and Bleach, and more recent ones like Gintama and d. gray-man.

Library Wars - Completed Review

What is it?

The Japanese Government has passed censorship laws giving the power to a conservative arm to make library inspections and decide what books are suitable to the public. After a library's staff is massacred by a right-wing group, a new law is passed giving libraries the authority to arm themselves. Kasahara is an idealist and enthusiastic new recruit to the library Corps' armed division and she hopes to defend her ideals and find her childhood hero.

What's good about it?

Entertaining plot. Good action. A decent mix of unique characters.

What's bad about it?

While the setting makes for entertaining drama, I just couldn't buy into the it because it was too implausible. The logic just wasn't there. I just can't see where the public support for the bad guys(Media Enhancement Commitee) is coming from. The story informs us that even the MEC's soldiers are really just hired guns who don't really care about the ideals of the group, yet the Library Corps are constantly being attacked by the public and the media for not giving into them. The library Corps are basically defending free speech, yet they are usually blamed for the attacks on the libraries. I just don't understand why the public are so wishy-washy on such an obvious choice of policy. I also can't conceive of any government who's solution to censorship concerns is to allow two independent groups to wage battles against each other in the middle of their cities. That's endorsing a policy that's barely an improvement on mob rule.

Final Verdict

Besides the setting, library wars is a pretty entertaining series. The dialogue is a little weak at times, but the story moves fast enough and there's a decent amount of action. I just can't overload the implausibility of the whole situation however, and for that the rating must suffer. This is playing itself as a pseudo-realistic drama, so I have to be able to understand the reasoning behind things.

7.3/10


FYI- I should have my Kanokon review and my July anime ranking up within the week. I'm still working on my summer pickups but I've got some additions I can confirm as of now:

-Mugen no Juunin
-School rumble third term
-Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
-Natsume Yuujinchou
-Sekirei

and possibly:

-Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo
-World Destruction
-Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora
-Koihime Musou

It's actually shaping up as a potentially great summer lineup, which would be welcome after a sub-par spring. (I'm especially giddy in anticipation of the new school rumble season. Yakumo!) In fact, if there are a lot of interesting series coming out, I may consider dropping some of the lesser spring ones I've been covering up until now. More details to follow. That's all for now. Bye-bee!

RANDOM PIC

Can you guess where this is from?